Flanging device

ABSTRACT

A flanging device for selectively bending the edges of quarter panels and other sheet metal parts in the manufacture and repair of automobile bodies which includes pliers adapted to receive a pair of flanging dies, one of which is attached to the upper jaw of the pliers and the other of which is attached to the lower jaw. The flanging dies are adapted to register with each other to cause a piece of sheet metal being clamped between the dies to be flanged at a selectively desired angle and depth.

United States Patent [1 1 Raymond [5 FLANGING DEVICE [76] Inventor:,Edwin Stanley Raymond, 111

Garfield St., Longview, Tex. 75601 [22] Filed: May 16, 1972 21 Appl.No.: 253,899

[52] US. Cl. 72/409, 113/56 [51] Int. Cl B2ld 37/12 [58] Field of Search72/409; 113/57, 56

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,811,065 10/1957 Johnson72/409 1,842,678 1/1932 Kreuzeder 72/409 1,887,732 11/1932 Pagel et a1.72/509 2,664,772 1/1954 Arey 72/409 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS874,280 4/1953 Germany 72/409 [451 May 7,1974

32,204 3/1934 Netherlands 113/56 Primary Examiner-Richard J. HerbstAttorney, Agent, or Firm-John M.- Harrison 57] ABSTRACT A flangingdevice for selectively bending the edges of quarter panels and othersheet metal parts in the manufacture and repair of automobile bodieswhich includes pliers adapted to receive a pair of flanging dies, one ofwhich is attached to the upper jaw of the pliers and the other of whichis attached to the lower jaw. The flanging dies are adapted to registerwith each other to cause a piece of sheet metal being clamped betweenthe dies to be flanged at a selectively desired angle and depth.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures FLANGING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a new andimproved flanging device for sheet metal, and particularly, to a new andimproved flanging device which can be utilized to shape metal parts inthe repair of quarter panels, rocker panels, front and rear fenders,roof panels, rear body panels, and other sheet metal parts ofautomobiles. The

flanging device of this invention is'extremely versatile in thatsubstantially any, number of flanging dies having a variety ofconfigurations can be adapted to the tool and utilized to effectflanging of substantially any contour and shape. Furthermore, theflanging tool of this invention is lightweight and may be easily used byhand, or it may be adapted for use with power equipment using, forexample, compressed air as the driving force.

2. Description of the Prior Art Heretofore various tools and deviceshave been utilized in the art to shape sheet metal parts in achievingvarious industrial functions. Exemplary tools known in the art date backas far as 1861, as illustrated in the patent to R. R. Taylor disclosinga power hammer in US. Pat. No. 31,041. More sophisticated tools such asthe portable shears illustrated in the US. Pat. to J. Artru, et al., No.3,350,780, and the power pliers disclosed in Patent No. Re-25842 to P.J. Keane, et al., developed later, and are well known in the metalworking art.

Conventional techniques and methods for repairing quarter panels andother metal sheeting parts of automobile and truck bodies have consistedchiefly of overlapping the parts to be joined, brazing them together,grinding the braze, and subsequently smoothing over the seam withfiberglass or other compound to form a uniform surface. Among theproblems which arise by use of this technique of repair is thedifficulty of achieving a smooth, strong bond which leaves no noticeablerise or other irregularity in the seam joining the metal parts afterpaint is applied. Since this conventional technique necessarily resultsin the placing of one thickness of metal over the other in order to jointhe two, the raised area must be masked by applying large amounts offiberglass, body putty or similar compound in the area adjacent the seamin order to gradually build up to the thickness of the overlapped metalwithout noticeable irregularity. Such a procedure requires a largeamount of compounding material and a high degree of experience by theworkmen, as well as a lengthy period of time in order to achieve thedesired result.

Another problem inherent in joining sheet metal by overlapping andbrazing is the reduction of strength brought'about by grinding the brazein order to reduce the seam thickness and aid development of a smoothjuncture. Furthermore, brazing on the outer edge of the panels to belapped frequently results in warpage of the panels, thereby increasingthe difficulty of forming a smooth surface over the repaired area.

An alternative method sometimes used to join two pieces of sheet metalin automobile and similar repair work is placing the metal pieces to bejoined end-toend, and brazing the resulting seam along the edges of therespective pieces. However, this technique, like the overlap method,frequently results in warpage of the two pieces being joined, since heatmust be applied along the joined ends. Furthermore, the presence of abrazingdeposit along the seam presents a higher surface area, even aftergrinding, than the'surfaces of the two members being joined.

In both the overlap and end-to-end method of joining sheet metal, theproblem of warpage requires the expenditure of much time and frequently,a large amount of material, to provide a smooth, uniform surface repairarea. Heat applied to the juncture frequently causes areas of the workpieces adjacent the seam as well as the seam itself, to warp, therebyincreasing the difficulty of providing a uniform repair job.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provid an improvedflanging tool for use in joining sheet metal pieces, and particularly,an improved flanging tool for use in flanging or selectively bendingquarter panels, front and rear fenders, roof panels, rear body panels,and other automobile surface parts in the repair of such vehicles.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved flanging toolwhich is light, easy to use, and can be operated with the use of onehand. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a flanging toolwhich may be quickly and easily modified to fit the contour ofsubstantially any piece of sheet metal being worked.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedflanging tool which is equipped with removable flanging dies, which diesmay be selectively shaped to provide sheet metal flanging ofsubstantially any configuration. Yet another object of the invention isto provide a flanging tool which utilizes flanging dies, which may beadapted for attachment to substantially any plier type device having theproper degree of leverage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These and other objects of the invention areprovided in a flanging tool for flanging sheet metal which includes thefollowing elements:

1. A plier-type device having sufficient leverage; and

2. A pair of flanging dies, each mounted on a jaw of the pliers, andadapted to mate when the jaws are closed to cause selective flanging of'a sheet metal workpiece disposed between the dies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be betterunderstood in view of the following description presented with referenceto the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the flanging tool of this inventionshowing a preferred positioning of one set of flanging dies on the plierjaws;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom flanging die illustrated inFIG. 1 showing the die interior configuration;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the top flanging die illusthe openconfiguration with a workpiece inserted for flanging;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the flanging tool illustrating the flangingdies illustrated in FIG. I in the closed position with a flangedworkpiece inserted between the dies.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIG. 1 ofthe.drawings, the flanging tool of the instant invention is illustratedgenerally as reference numeral 1, with top flanging die, generallyillustrated by reference numeral 6, and bottom flanging die, generallyillustrated by reference numeral 5, shown affixed to jaws 2 and .3 ofpliers 8, respectively. As illustrated, top flanging die 6 is fittedwith a lip 6a, and bottom flanging die is similarly fitted with a lip5a, which is tapered to form tooth Sb. When the dies are in flangingposition, as illustrated in FIG. 1, tooth 5b is adapted to approach lip6a. A sheet metal workpiece 7, illustrated more particularly in FIGS. 4and 5, is designed to be placed between the dies, as shown in FIG. 4,and subsequently'flanged or selectively bent, as illustrated in FIG. 5,when the plier jaws are closed.

It has surprisingly been found that an extremely uniform flange having agreat tendency to resist warpage can be obtained by provision of slot 5cin bottom flanging die 5, which slot isadapted to register with aprojection 6b, machined or otherwise provided in top flanging die 6.This mechanical feature causes work stock, such as workpiece 7, to becrimped andgrooved simultaneously, as illustrated by reference number 11in FIG.

6, a feature which has surprisingly been found to greatly minimizetheeffect of warpage of the workpiece when heat is applied in the brazingprocess after the flanging operation has been completed.

' As illustrated in FIG. 7 of the drawing, workpieces 7 and 7a, flangedby the flanging tool of this invention, are overlapped, joined by'braze'9, and subsequently smoothed at the brazed seam by application of filler10, which may typically be fiberglass or body solder.

As further illustrated in the drawings, it will be appre-. ciated thattop flanging die 6 and bottom flanging die 5 must be displacedhorizontally with respect to each other in jaws 2 and 3, in order toallow a workpiece to be bent or crimped in the proper configuration.Accordingly, it is preferred that wall 6g of top flanging die 6,illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing, be displaced with respect to tooth5b of bottom flanging die 5, approximately A; of an inch to effectexecution of the proper flanging angle. It will further be recognizedthat this displacement may be greater if it is desired to effect aflanging angle which is less than that effected when the displacement is56 of an inch. It will also be appreciated that surfaces 5a and 6alocated on top flanging die 6 and bottom flanging die 5 are designed topermit rolling the flange up or down without changing the contour of theunflanged area of work on the workpiece. It is also important that thetop flanging die be constructed wider than the bottom flanging die inorder to properly effect the crimping operation. In addition, whileadjustment of the depth of the flanging operation may usually be easilyeffected by visual means, the plier jaws may be fitted with a stop nearthe rear of the dies toallow uniformity in crimping or flanging to aproper depth.

It has been estimated that the flanging technique of I this inventioncan easily save up to percent of fiberglassing or other compoundsutilized in body work repair due to the necessity of using less materialin smoothing over the seam created by placing two flanged pieces ofmetal adjacent each other and brazing them to form the necessary seam.It will be appreciated that while it is preferred to utilize theflanging device of this invention as a hand operated plier device, thetool may be adapted to power equipment driven by compressed air orsimilar means.

When utilizing the flanging device according to the disclosure of thisinvention, the two surfaces which are to be joined may be flanged bysuccessively causing pressure to be exerted on the flanging .dies withthe workstock inserted between the dies, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5of the drawing, and heat may be applied to braze the joint, as shown inFIG. 7. Where it is desired to do very precise work and join two flangedworkpieces with a minimum of distortion between flanged seams, to effectworkpieces having areas adjacent the flangedregion at essentially thesame elevation as illustrated in FIG. 7, two sets of dies may beutilized, which sets have different flanged depths in order to achievethe necessary results. Essentially the same result may be achieved inthe invention by rolling the flanged areas in opposite directions whencreating the flange by using a common set of dies. Of course, it will beappreciated that substantially any shaped die may be utilized in theflanging tool of this invention, depending upon the contour of theworkpiece or workpieces to be joined. I

Having described my invention above, what is claimed is: I

1. A tool for flangingthe edges ofsheet metal which comprises:

a. Pliers, having anupper and a lower jaw;

b. A top flanging die affixed to saidupper jaw, said top flanging diehaving a horizontally projectinglip across the front edge thereof andshaped with a first shoulder essentially perpendicular to and joiningsaid lip at the rear extremity of said lip.

c. A bottom flangingdieaffixed to said lower jaw, said bottom flangingdie having a vertically projecting toothacross the front edge thereof,said tooth being curved from the extreme front bottom edge of said dieto the apex thereof, and adapted to contact said lip when said upper andsaid lower jaws of said pliers are closed said bottom flanging diefurther shaped with a second shoulder to the rear of and joining saidtooth at the apex thereof; and

d. Said first and second shoulders are spaced apart and essentiallyparallel when said upper jaw and said lower jaw of said pliers areclosed.

2. The tool of claim 1 wherein:

a. Said top flanging die is fitted with at least one projection on abottom surface thereof, which projection is narrow with respect to thewidth of said top flanging die and is positioned essentially in thecenter of said bottom surface, traversing the length thereof to the rearof and perpendicular to said first shoulder; and

b. Said bottom flanging die is fitted with at least one slot on the toprear surface thereof, which slot is adapted to registerwith said atleast one projection when said upper and said lower jaws of said pliersa. Said top flanging die is shaped with a first shoulder essentiallyperpendicular to and joining said lip at the rear extremity of said lip;

b. Said bottom flanging die is shaped with a second shoulder to the rearof and joining said tooth at the apex thereof;

c. Said first and second shoulders are spaced apart and essentiallyparallel when said upper jaw and said lower jaw of said pliers areclosed;

d. Said top flanging die is fitted with at least one projection on abottom surface thereof, which projection is narrow with respect to thewidth of said top flanging die and is positioned essentially in thecenter of said bottom surface and traversing the length thereof to therear of and perpendicular to said first shoulder; and

e. Said bottom flanging die is fitted with at least one slot on the toprear surface thereof, which slot is adapted to register with said atleast one projection when said upper and said lower jaws of said pliersare closed. a

4. The tool of claim 1 wherein the front and sides of said top flangingdie and said bottom flanging die project beyond said upper jaw and saidlower jaw, respectively.

S. The tool of claim 1 further including stop means affixed to the rearof said top flanging die to permit insertion of a workpiece between saidtop die and said bottom die to a uniform depth.

6. The tool of claim 3 wherein:

a. the front and sides of said top flanging die and said bottom flangingdie project beyond said upper jaw and said lower jaw, respectively; and

b. Said top flanging die is fitted with a stop means to permit insertionof a workpiece between said top flanging die and said bottom flangingdie at a uniform depth.

1. A tool for flanging the edges of sheet metal which comprises: a.Pliers, having an upper and a lower jaw; b. A top flanging die affixedto said upper jaw, said top flanging die having a horizontallyprojecting lip across the front edge thereof and shaped with a firstshoulder essentially perpendicular to and joining said lip at the rearextremity of said lip. c. A bottom flanging die affixed to said lowerjaw, said bottom flanging die having a vertically projecting toothacross the front edge thereof, said tooth being curved from the extremefront bottom edge of said die to the apex thereof, and adapted tocontact said lip when said upper and said lower jaws of said pliers areclosed said bottom flanging die further shaped with a second shoulder tothe rear of and joining said tooth at the apex thereof; and d. Saidfirst and second shoulders are spaced apart and essentially parallelwhen said upper jaw and said lower jaw of said pliers are closed.
 2. Thetool of claim 1 wherein: a. Said top flanging die is fitted with atleast one projection on a bottom surface thereof, which projection isnarrow with respect to the width of said top flanging die and ispositioned essentially in the center of said bottom surface, traversingthe length thereof to the rear of and perpendicular to said firstshoulder; and b. Said bottom flanging die is fitted with at least oneslot on the top rear surface thereof, which slot is adapted to registerwith said at least one projection when said upper and said lower jaws ofsaid pliers are closed.
 3. The tool of claim 1 wherein: a. Said topflanging die is shaped with a first shoulder essentially perpendicularto and joining said lip at the rear extremity of said lip; b. Saidbottom flanging die is shaped with a second shoulder to the rear of andjoining said tooth at the apex thereof; c. Said first and secondshoulders are spaced apart and essentially parallel when said upper jawand said lower jaw of said pliers are closed; d. Said top flanging dieis fitted with at least one projection on a bottom surface thereof,which projection is narrow with respect to the width of said topflanging die and is positioned essentially in the center of said bottomsurface and traversing the length thereof to the rear of andperpendicular to said first shoulder; and e. Said bottom flanging die isfitted with at least one slot on the top rear surface thereof, whichslot is adapted to register with said at least one projection when saidupper and said lower jaws of said pliers are closed.
 4. The tool ofclaim 1 wherein the front and sides of said top flanging die and saidbottom flanging die project beyond said upper jaw and said lower jaw,respectively.
 5. The tool of claim 1 further including stop meansaffixed to the rear of said top flanging die to permit insertion of aworkpiece between said top die and said bottom die to a uniform depth.6. The tool of claim 3 wherein: a. the front and sides of said topflanging die and said bottom flanging die project beyond said upper jawand said lower jaw, respectively; and b. Said top flanging die is fittedwith a stop means to permit insertion of a workpiece between said topflanging die and said bottom flanging die at a uniform depth.